Manufacturing Operations Associate Jobs in Lithonia, GA

Dole Packaged Foods is a purpose led organization that is a champion of accessible fruit nutrition and builds a brighter future for people through the goodness of fruit.

At Dole, our culture is uniquely driven by core Values. Our commitment to these Values transforms our work into a meaningful journey toward a brighter future together. Here, you'll be part of a respectful, inclusive culture that deeply values our colleagues, customers, and global communities. We strive for excellence, empowering each other to confidently overcome challenges, continuously learn, and achieve world-class results. Guided by unwavering integrity, our actions consistently reflect our commitment to always doing what's right, fostering lasting trust and strong relationships. Through a spirit of collaboration, we cultivate positivity, generosity, and genuine teamwork, enabling collective success toward our One Dole Purpose. Our innovative spirit leads directly to meaningful outcomes and business success.

The Production Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, direction, and performance of manufacturing operations. This role oversees Production Supervisors and production teams to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective operations while delivering results in the areas of safety, quality, productivity, customer service, labor utilization, and cost management. The Production Manager drives employee engagement, talent development, continuous improvement, and operational excellence while partnering closely with Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Human Resources, and Plant Leadership to achieve business objectives.

• Lead and manage all production operations to achieve established goals for safety, food safety, quality, productivity, labor efficiency, service, and cost control.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for Production Supervisors, Leads, and production associates.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for operational results and employee development.
• Promote a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with all environmental, health, safety, food safety, GMP, regulatory, and company requirements.
• Develop and execute strategies that improve operational performance, capacity utilization, productivity, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, root cause analysis, problem-solving methodologies, and waste reduction programs.
• Monitor and analyze production performance metrics, including productivity, labor efficiency, downtime, yield, recovery, throughput, and customer service levels.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering teams to improve equipment reliability, production efficiency, and operational uptime.
• Collaborate with Quality and Food Safety teams to ensure compliance with all quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Manage departmental budgets and labor costs while identifying opportunities to improve operational effectiveness and reduce manufacturing costs.
• Develop staffing plans and workforce strategies to support operational requirements and future growth.
• Lead employee engagement, succession planning, talent development, and performance management activities within the production organization.
• Oversee training programs to ensure employees are properly trained and qualified to perform assigned responsibilities.
• Lead investigations and corrective actions related to safety, quality, employee relations, productivity, and operational incidents.
• Ensure effective communication of business priorities, operational goals, and performance expectations throughout the organization.
• Support capital projects, operational expansion efforts, process improvements, and implementation of new technologies.
• Maintain positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Perform other duties as assigned

• Minimum 5-8 years of manufacturing experience, preferably within food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, beverage, pharmaceutical, or other high-volume production environments.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive leadership experience managing supervisors and manufacturing teams.
• Strong experience leading multi-shift manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated success managing production performance, labor efficiency, quality, safety, and operational KPIs.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Strong understanding of GMPs, food safety requirements, quality systems, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing labor planning, workforce utilization, scheduling, and staffing needs.
• Proven ability to develop supervisors, build high-performing teams, and drive employee engagement.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills with the ability to interpret operational data and identify improvement opportunities.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and project management capabilities.
• Effective communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• SAP experience preferred.
• Fluent English required; Bilingual Spanish preferred.

• Passionate about a purpose driven career
• Committed to fostering inclusive environments that support employee development and well-being
• Sets clear expectations, encourages innovation, and drives continuous improvement
• Models and coaches towards transparency and integrity in decision-making

• Effectively facilitates cross-team communication and teamwork

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, Food Science, or a related field required.
• If no degree, equivalent combination of education and relevant manufacturing leadership experience may be considered.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence certifications are a plus.

• Ability to lift up to 15 pounds.
• Ability to climb stairs and access production areas.
• Requires standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, twisting, and other physical movements throughout the workday.
• Ability to work safely in a manufacturing environment with exposure to production equipment, noise, varying temperatures, and moving machinery.

• Cold, refrigerated, and freezer environments.
• Fast-paced, high-volume food manufacturing setting.
• Industrial production environment with associated noise levels.
• Availability to support off-shift operations, weekends, and business-critical production needs as required.

• Limited travel is expected (less than 10%)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.